Standard Lemma guide

inconstant

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Not constant; wavering.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Unfaithful to a lover.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable- Shakespeare

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • inconstant affections
  • an inconstant lover
  • swear not by...the inconstant moon

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: constant

History

Etymology

From Middle English inconstant, inconstante, inconstaunte, from Middle French inconstant and its etymon, Latin incōnstāns.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: непостоянен (nepostojanen) — not constant
  • Bulgarian: колеблив (kolebliv) — not constant
  • Catalan: inconstant — not constant
  • Finnish: muuttuva — not constant
  • Finnish: vaihteleva — not constant
  • Finnish: epävakaa — not constant
  • French: volubile — not constant
  • French: inconstant — not constant
  • Greek: ασταθής (astathís) — not constant
  • Greek: άστατος (ástatos) — not constant
  • Ido: nekonstanta — not constant
  • Ido: variema — not constant
  • Irish: luaineach — not constant
  • Italian: incostante — not constant
  • Italian: discontinuo — not constant
  • Italian: volubile — not constant
  • Latin: incōnstāns — not constant
  • Latin: mūtābilis — not constant
  • Latin: miscīx — not constant
  • Latin: īnstabilis — not constant
  • Latin: lūbricus — not constant
  • Latin: volāticus — not constant
  • Latin: mōbilis — not constant
  • Latin: maritimus — not constant
  • Latin: flexibilis — not constant
  • Latin: dēvius — not constant
  • Maltese: qluqi — not constant
  • Manx: neuhaanagh — not constant
  • Manx: kirkinagh — not constant
  • Manx: anhickyr — not constant
  • Manx: anchinjagh — not constant
  • Manx: frittagh — not constant
  • Portuguese: inconstante — not constant
  • Romanian: inconstant — not constant
  • Romanian: variabil — not constant
  • Romanian: nestatornic — not constant
  • Romanian: neconstant — not constant
  • Russian: непостоя́нный (nepostojánnyj) — not constant
  • Russian: изме́нчивый (izménčivyj) — not constant
  • Spanish: inconstante — not constant
  • Turkish: hercai — not constant
  • Woiwurrung: moor-moor-ween — not constant